Holy cow! o.o I am SO glad I decided to see if there are any new reviews before posting this up =3. I enjoyed them very much =)

Reviews time!

To PublicPandorum: I always thought the plot would be lost o.o But I'm glad to hear that isn't the case! I've never done a fanfiction with so many chapters before! I'm really happy, actually! And I kinda hated the fact that I made them so OOC, but I'm glad to hear it's not a bad OCC-nes. And don't need to thank me for writing XD The joy of writing in itself is good enough for me.

To the Poet's Raven: Welcome back! =D Ah, don't forget Sora's father... we're not done with him yet, I am afraid. And there's a new one coming in that's ten times worse~ And don't worry about my health, it's normal for my heart to be an... ass, for lack of a better word thereof. =3 I will still do my very best to update! =3 Though that may depend this weekend, really. But I'll be getting my computer back soon, right as rain! So more time for chappies! BOB has a female counterpart? o.o Damn XD Overall, I really enjoyed your review! =3

To Moe10: Thanks for the little tidbit about that! I for sure won't be doing another Court scene ever again. Too... stiff. Hope this is fast enough for you!

To Tera Loveless Uchiha: Sleep is still sleep! And thank you, I'm glad to hear you say that you find it that good =3 And yes, they will ROT! Mouahahaha XD And thank you so much for saying that! It really made much of my day (made up for the pain I had today) and I will do my best to be the best author I can be. Hope you like Fantasy fiction a lot if you're gonna buy all my books XD Yay a faithful minion! *Writes it down* Other than me... that makes two. Mouhahahaha XD And this chapter is quite calm, so no worries here. You can concider it a long filler chapter.

Send me a nudge if you want a story/one-shot on a certain subject. I'll try to make it happen! Or tell me if you want a certain thing to show up in the story, and I'll do my best to fit it in.

Enjoy Paper Moon!

Paper Moon

Chapter Sixteen

The Days Spent Alive

A year later

Sora

The day before our birthday. The cold coming from the air-conditioned room refeshes us on the hot summer day, tommorrow meaning much for us. But right now we're just goofing off, he dripping wet as he's fallen into the water - courtesy of yours truly - while he's had some difficulty doing that to me. The water makes him look almost like he's glowing.

"I swear I'll get you!" He says as he chases me. I look over my shoulder at him, stopping with a small whimper as I see that I'd bumped into the diving board.

"Damn." I say shakily as I turn around and look at him. He's grinning as if he'd won the lottery, coming towards me, my only escape the water.

"Aw c'mon, it wasn't so bad." I say, hoping to win this little mock-fight we're having. He's holding one hand to the base of his neck, near his left shoulder, where'd I'd left him a little gift. He sticks out his tongue at me. "I like to think you seemed to rather enjoy it."

His face heats up at the memory, and he charges for my waist, arms coming around it and bringing me with him into the water. We go under with a flurry of bubbles, and as revenge while I'm left defenseless, he leaves me the same little gift at the base of my neck, both of us still underwater as a small flurry of bubbles leaves my lips in a silent moan. Grinning he lets go and we go up for air, my face completely red as I put my hand to where he'd just left his mark.

"Seems to me," He starts casually. "That you rather enjoy it." He says sweetly. The pool water is cold, perfect on a day like today. I stick out my tongue at him, leaping - or as much as that is possible while in the water - at him and wrapping my legs around him, arms around his neck. He looks at me with a smile, and I return his grin.

"Maybe." I purr, and, like he's told me once, he likes it when I do that. The obvious reaction: he smiles wider as I bend my head towards him, lips pausing just an inch from his. "There's a week left."

"Yeah." He smiles, every word making our lips brush together and sending little sparks of energy through me. It's already almost been a year, and I'm still not over the effect he has on me.

With his hands behind my head he presses his mouth on mine hard, already expecting me as I snake my tongue through his lips, earning a contented sigh from him as we battle it out, his back meeting the side of the pool. He grunts but otherwise ignores it. He smiles as we pull back for some much-needed air.

"I wanna know something." I start, not bothering to move from where I am. Over the year, even his scars have faded a little, and they practically don't show at all. "Is there anything you want for your birthday?"

"No." He smiles, running a finger over the mark he's given me, making me shiver.

"But I wanna get you something, and I'm not sure if what I got you will be good enough." I scratch the back of my head a moment. "It's our first birthday together, so I wanted to make sure it's special."

"I'm sure it'll be perfect." He says. "We'll both be eighteen now, remember." I laugh to myself, nuzzling my face into his neck.

"I know." I sigh for a moment. "And I'll officially no longer be a 'prince'."

"I know how you don't want to rule this godforsaken country... but don't let it get to you." He says gently, hands making circular motions on my back.

"I don't want to have to be wrenched away from my life and rule this place, and then be forced to come up with a heir." I make a face. "I don't want any of that."

"Then what do you want?" He asks, and I close my eyes.

"I want what I'm holding in my arms right now." I tell him. "You, and only you."

"You'll still have me." He says with a smile. My hands tighten at his back.

"I don't know. I might be forced to marry a woman and have her carry my child." He goes silent. "And that would mean..."

"That we wouldn't be able to be together anymore." He finishes softly.

"Yeah."

"Is there any way to change that?"

"Just watch me." I say, voice clipped. "I want to see them try; I'll give them a god damn King."

He looks at me in confusion but I shake my head.

"You'll see." I disentangle myself from him after a quick kiss. "Now come on; this is making me depressed."

"Sure thing, Sor." He smiles, following me as I lift myself out of the pool.

"Wake up!" I shout, sitting down onto his stomach like I did so long ago. He wakes up with a cry of surprise, breath knocked out of him. "It's already seven thirty in the morning, how much more time do you need?" I ask, exitement leaking over. He opens two groggy cerulean eyes and looks up at me.

"Hi to you too." He says with a smile, rubbing his eyes. It's fun seeing him still half asleep; I kiss him gently and quickly before I pull back, exitement bubbling over again.

"C'mon!" I pull him out of bed as he protests, dragging him onto the couch and sitting him down. "You can't open your eyes, either!"

"That's no fun." He grins sleepily as he closes his eyes.

"It is too. Now hold out your hands." I smile and run into the bathroom, picking up the thing on the ground. I make a motion for it to be quiet, and it does so. I bring it to Roxas, juggling the other one in my other arm as I give him the paler one. "You can look."

He gasps as the baby Golden Retriever licks his face, yipping and wagging his little tail. A smile spreads across his face as he stands and looks at him, and he notices I hold another one in my own hands, a German Shepherd. Both are only about two months old, trained well enough to be brought home as pets.

"You got dogs?" He asks, eyes bright and happy.

"You can name that one if you want." I say with a smile. "They came in a set, really. I'm calling this little girl Luna."

"I'll call mine Sombra, then." He smiles. I put mine down and she barks up at his, which, when Roxas puts him down, the pup barks at Luna and chases after her. He puts both his hands on my face, kissing me with a sort of ferocity he doesn't usually use. I smile and return it as he falls back first onto the edge of the matress. The two pups bark as they run around, but all I really register is Roxas as he places a hand at my neck, tilting it so he can have acess to it, which is really rare. But I gladly take it, trying to stop the sounds I want to make as he gently leaves his mark at the base of my neck a few times. I have both my hands at his hips, fingers digging into them as I let out a moan that escapes my control. He laughs against my neck.

"I can't begin to thank you enough." He says gently, licking his lips which, in turn, lets his tongue run over my skin once. "I've always wanted a dog."

He leans in for another kiss, battling it out with me as I run my hands down the sides of his waist and up to halfway to his knees, he leaning into my touch. We both let out a sort of laugh at the same time while still battling each other fiercly, which is then interrupted when we feel two very obvious tongues lick our faces.

Laughing I pull back and roll off of him, picking the eager pup up into my arms.

"I think they're jealous." I say. He laughs and picks Sombra up into his arms, which then goes off to lick his face.

"I can understand why." He says with a smile. "You're amazingly... hmm... what's the word?"

"Tall?" I ask with a grin. He laughs once dryly, a spark in his eyes.

"Ha-ha." He sticks out his tongue at me. "No, something else. Oh, right!" He looks at me and leans in to whisper in my ear. "I believe the words 'drop dead sexy' would suffice?"

I turn my head to face him, face beet red as I push his arm a little.

"Roxas!" I protest. He shrugs.

"Want your present?" He asks. Curious, I forget my embarassment and nod. "Then close your eyes, and if you try to peak, then we'll see." He sings the last part. I close my eyes, smiling to myself as I pet Luna, she yapping away at Sombra.

"You can look now, silly." I open my eyes a little, and I see him holding a box decorated red with blue stripes. I raise an eyebrow, but he hands it to me.

I open the lid, having let the pup out of my arms so she could go play with Roxas' pup, looking inside.

There's a few charcoal pencils in a smaller tray inside, with a large stack of paper underneath. I smile as I look at it.

"I noticed you didn't have a set, so I thought you'd like that." I put the box down beside me, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I love it." I smile. "Happy birthday, Rox."

"Happy birthday to you too, Sor." He says gently, wrapping his own arms around my waist. "Oh, and there's one more reason to be happy."

"Yeah." I smile, leaning against him a little with my forehead against his.

"It's the day we met." He laughs as one of the pups tugs on his pants leg, looking to Luna, who is wagging her tail innocently. The radio, which I had left playing in the background for the hell of it, played By Your Side. We both smile at the same time. Our song.

"So, do you wanna do something specific today?" I ask, the side of my head leaning on his collarbone. He shrugs.

"Not really. I like to go with it as it goes."

"Ah, really?" I ask, humming the song to myself, smiling.

"Yeah." He falls silent a moment as we listen to the song. "When do you go back to school?" He asks silently.

"I'm going back for one more day on the thirty-first. And you do know it's a sort of breakfast thing, and that I can bring a friend, family, or lover, right?" I ask.

"Technically," he starts, grinning. "I'm not your lover."

I stick out my tongue at him.

"Yet. But that's beside the point." I say. "I want you to come with me."

"Of course I would." He smiles. "But why exactly must you go there?"

"Because it's for all the musicians, and we're playing a concert for the first years." I smile at him in return. "Maybe I could get you to play as well... after all, it is a concert consisting of various shows of one or more graduates, so I'm sure that having you perform with me would be no bother at all, considering I'm alone."

"It would be nice." He says after a while, hand smoothing my hair. I watch the pups run around after each other. "Us playing together like that. What're you playing?"

"Take a guess." I close my eyes, holding myself closer to him a little.

"I don't know. You enjoy a lot of songs."

"I'm playing our song." I say with a soft smile playing on my lips. "While I'm playing the piano, I'll be singing it as well."

"Now that," he starts with a smile in his voice. "I will have to hear."

"Well, then, come on! Let's go play it!" I disentangle myself from him and grab his hands, pulling him up and out the door. The pups follow us, going ahead of us down the hallway and barking, coming back the way they came when they go too far. Soon enough we get to the Library, and I let go of his hands so he can close the door and grab his violin I gave him while I search for the music sheet.

"Ready?" I ask after placing the music sheet. I let my fingers hover over the keys, and he nods, his own fingers expertly splayed on the instrument, holding it gracefully, even if he may not know he's doing it. I press the keys and he picks up almost at the same time I do, the notes he plays gentle and graceful, weaving with the notes I play. I watch him as he plays the instrument with his eyes closed, fingers automatically gliding to a new string to hold it before he even passes the rod over the strings, like a perfect symphony. I look back to the keys and wrench my mind from him, and I let him hear it.

"Why are you striving these days?" I start, the lyrics falling off my lips naturally. He picks it up with me, and we continue along the song, looking at each other when we get to the before last stanza. With a smile we end the song, and the pups start barking again, Sombra jumping onto my lap. I laugh and pet him. Roxas sits down beside me, having put his violin back in its case and picked up Luna.

"I think we'll have a lot on our hands with these two always wanting attention." He says with a chuckle.

"Maybe it's because they want to go outside and play?" I ask. He hums to himself a moment.

"Probably. But how should I know?" He counters.

"You wanna go outside?" I ask Sombra. He barks at me, his tail wagging. I grin and hold him up to the height of my head, turning him so he faces Roxas. "That answer your question."

"Very funny." He says, standing up and putting Luna onto the ground.

"I aim to please." I say, using a funny accent I've started to use a while ago. He laughs, and I put Sombra onto the ground, following the eager pups out the door, Roxas coming close behind me. He falls into step with me, and we watch them run around as we follow them, smiling.

"I think I'll be remembering this birthday." He says, putting an arm around my shoulders. I smile at him.

"I'll make sure you do." I smile in return.

"I never thought much of it back before." He says gently, eyes no longer looking sad whenever he brings it up. He's like that. He'll spring up a moment from his past when he wants, but he stays quiet about it the rest of the time. Not that I ask him. Like I'd told him almost one year ago, I said I'd let him tell me when he wanted to. "It's not like I had much of a choice, anyways."

"But now you do." I say with a smile, arm around his waist. He nods, smiling.

"Now I do." The pups turn around and bark at us, as if to say hurry up! I laugh gently, and we let go of one another to break off into a run after them, which seems to make them happy. "You know what? I think it'll be very fun with these two around." He shoots over his shoulder as he pushes one of the side doors open t let them out into the yard. Yipping happily, they charge out and chase their stubby little tails, both of us following behind them.

"Immagine when they'll be older." I add. "What I like about dogs is that they are always so affectionate." I kneel on the grass and scratch Luna's face gently on the sides of her muzzle.

"Yeah." He sighs, kneeling beside me as we watch them run around us. "Thanks, Sor." He laughs as one of the pups marks a little tree nearby with his scent.

"Thank you, too, Roxie." He sticks out his tongue at me; he preffers Rox over Roxie, says it makes him sound like if he's a girl. I hum to myself a moment, have a little lightbulb moment, and I scratch something into the dirt. "Hey, Rox? You know, not to be mean or anything, but if you pronounce it in a special way, your name sounds a lot like this." He looks at what I wrote.

And laughs.

"Oh, I knew that already." He says.

"I wonder if it's true." I muse. He pushes me on my arm a little, catching me off-guard and making me fall to my side on the ground. I laugh as I hit it. "What, at least I'm honest!"

"Nothing." He says with a smile, laughing. "You're just being you."

"Well, it would be hard to act like May, or like Karyn, for example." He sticks out his tongue at me.

"Silly."

How wash thish fow eh chappeh? (Who understood that?XD)

Meh, I'm starting Season two, if you will, on a low note. But it will get better. I has plans for this. Ebil, ebil plans.

BOB is on tv now, having taken over CBC =3

See you all soon =3